The Lake County Sheriff’s Office became a participating agency in the A Way Out law enforcement pre-arrest diversion program in July 2017. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is seeking to reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Lake County by connecting individuals with substance use disorders ready for rehabilitation to addiction treatment services.

The Sheriff’s Office provides service to all unincorporated areas of Lake County as well as seven (7) Contract Communities and also services communities without a full-time law enforcement agency. Due to the large service population, access instruction for A Way Out is listed below:

How to Access Help:

During regular working hours, Monday through Friday 8 AM – 5 PM, participants may come to one of three locations:

• 25 S Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Waukegan
• 1301 N Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville – Call (847) 549-5200 and let us know you’re coming
• 703 US 12 in Fox Lake (Marine Unit) – Call (847) 549-5200 and let us know you’re coming 

Sheriff’s staff will contact a deputy to meet with the participant.

If a participant reaches out for assistance and has no transportation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office will dispatch a deputy to pick up the participant.

After hours:

Participants may call (847) 549-5200 and request A Way Out services. A deputy will be dispatched to participant’s location if no transportation is available.

All narcotics and paraphernalia turned into the LCSO by a participant will be collected and entered into evidence for disposal. No charges will be filed.

How We Link to Care:

• A deputy will discuss the onboarding process with participant and family members and request the participant’s signature on the program waiver.
• The Lake County Health Department will be contacted to provide a phone screening evaluation of the participant and then recommend one of three treatment tracts for the participant; hospitalization, outpatient or inpatient.
• The deputy will remain with the participant until a volunteer arrives or until a transport for hospitalization or inpatient care is required.
• If the participant is going through acute withdrawal, a deputy will transport the participant to one of four participating hospitals.

To learn more, go to A Way Out.